


Un...Fortunate complications

by Kairos27universe



Series: Drawing made by Nanako [2]
Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Light Angst, Misunderstandings, More tags and characters being added as the story goes i guess, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-13 05:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kairos27universe/pseuds/Kairos27universe
Summary: Naoto is very happy with the friends she has, and can't wait for everyone to meet again soon. But the one she has recently been the closest to - someone she never thought could actually top Yu in that regard, but did - has been acting strangely, to the point of making up lies to avoid seeing her.What could possibly lead to such behaviour? Does he maybe not consider her a friend as much as she does him? Did she do something wrong that hurt him for this to happen...? Both options seemed unlikely as far as her memories went, but with Naoto's lack of experience with friendship, she can't fully trust her own perception... So the only thing left for her to do is investigate, going after the core of her issue: Yosuke Hanamura.





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I indicate reading through Serious Talk before going for this, especially as the chapters go on

“Good night, Naoto-san!” Yukiko said, with a gentle smile and a hand wave. Naoto returned the gesture, with a smile of her own.

“Good night, Yukiko-senpai. Take care.” The detective said, curtly but amicably. She then turned around, and got inside the car sent by her grandfather. On the front seat was a well-dressed man, who promptly addressed Naoto as she closed the door.

“Good evening, Naoto-sama! We received word from the Tokyo Police Department already. Was the trip alright?”

“Mm, yes, Yakushiji-san.” Naoto let out a silent chuckle. After the extremely formal environment she was in while working in the latest case, the first two people she talks to in Inaba are, ironically, Yukiko-senpai and him. Although the former had maintained quite the casual conversation with the detective, it was still one imbued with courteousness; and the same could be said of Yakushiji-san, the Shirogane family’s secretary.

Not that she disliked it, though. In a way, that’s what most of her interactions during her life were like, especially when her work was involved. She supposed she just got too used to coming back to Inaba and being greeted with a simple “Yo”, or “Hey”.

Of course, meeting Yukiko-senpai after arriving at the station had been a pleasant surprise. While not the closest inside the Investigation Team, she was still an important friend, someone Naoto looked up to in a way. As the car started moving, the detective looked though the window at the black-haired girl, whose bus home had just arrived. With a small smile, she thought that maybe not being as close meant each opportunity to talk like this was extremely valuable.

On the way to the Shirogane Estate, the tiredness from working hours on end finally started to appear to the detective. Even if it was still early in the evening, she decided it would be for the best if she went to sleep as soon as possible. It was a shame, though, since she had spent quite a few days away and wanted to enjoy a little more the nice evening in Inaba.

The bluenette sighed. At least she got to meet a friend before going home, someone she enjoyed talking to. Even if it wasn’t the person she was most expecting to see.

Shirogane went for the pocket hidden inside her blue coat, snatching her cell phone and opening it. As her house was starting to get visible, she texted Yosuke Hanamura, another member of the Investigation Team. She wondered if he would be at Junes for a night shift right now, but soon let this thought go. She was already getting home, so there was no way she could meet him now (…and maybe Teddie, of course).

‘ _ARRIVED IN INABA. INVESTIGATION WAS TIRING BUT SUCCESSFUL. LOOKING FRWRD TO GROUP HANGOUT_.’

She pressed the “Send” button and then put the phone back in her pocket, as Yakushiji-san parked the car. Usually he would offer to open the door for her, but Shirogane was too impatient this time around and left the car quickly.

“Anything wrong, Naoto-sama?” The secretary asked after leaving the car, seeming a bit worried. The small detective looked at him, taking a second to process what he said, and then tugged on the tip of her hat.

“No, Yakushiji-san, all is well. I just wish to go to sleep soon… I’m feeling rather tired, and would like to be well rested from tomorrow on.” As she finished saying, both Naoto and the man started walking towards the entrance of the Shirogane Estate. Yakushiji-san took the lead to open the door.

“Oh, of course! Tomorrow is when your friend comes to visit Inaba, right? And everyone from your group will be reunited.”  

Naoto nodded, letting out an “Uhum”, but kept quiet about the slight inaccuracy in the secretary’s words. While tomorrow Yu-senpai would indeed be returning to Inaba, he had already talked with the whole group about delaying their big meeting to the day after that. The reason for that, obviously, was his… Er…

It surely felt quite strange to properly say it out loud, but she shouldn’t need to feel embarrassed to simply voice it in her thoughts. She psyched herself up. _‘Justice-For-Nanako-Plan’_. That’s what Yu had named his intentions to spend tomorrow with Nanako.

Naoto knew she wasn’t the only one who found this naming rather… unconventional. At the same time, she secretly knew that his inspiration for it was the Tarot Deck’s Major Arcana, something she owed to her vast knowledge (and, she’d never admit it out loud, to her fondness of games and Tokusatsu that persisted since her childhood; games with Arcana or Zodiac themes weren’t uncommon).

It was not the first time he referenced that in his… jokes, if she could call them that. Memories passed through her mind in a flash: Yu saying being kicked by Chie was like being run down by a Chariot, or that Dojima-san was the Hierophant of the police, or that Naoto was fortunate for whatever reason… It seemed like he was in on a joke that no one else was, and even if the detective picked up on this pattern it still didn’t make those jests any funny or less weird. She guessed that comedy was the one thing Yu-senpai wasn’t good at.

After getting inside the house, Naoto had dinner with her grandfather and Yakushiji-san while giving them details about the last case. She finished her meal quickly, and excused herself to her room. As the detective was preparing to go to bed, her phone vibrated, indicating a message had just arrived. Unconsciously, a small smile appeared on her mouth.

‘ _I see, gr8 detective as always lol  
yeah, lookin frwrd to it too!_’

Shirogane chuckled a little as she read his message, but soon her smile turned into a frown, as she sat on her bed with furrowed brows. While this text seemed normal enough, the truth was that the detective had been noticing a few strange things about the boy recently.

Naoto was very happy for having the friends she had. Yukiko, whom she met and chatted with today, was a prime example of this: even if they didn’t hang out as much alone, they got along very well and surely could be at ease with each other without the whole group together. That didn’t mean, however, that there weren’t those she felt she was closer to. Initially, her biggest bond in the group had been Yu Narukami, who was close to everyone; however, after he left the town, Naoto made efforts to try and solidify her relationship with the rest of the team. She never expected, however, that this would work best with _Yosuke_ of all people.

His status as ‘Prince of Disappointment’ was not just for show, as might be expected, especially in moments like the Beauty Pageant or when he made any sarcastic remarks. However, after solving the murder case together and actually getting to spend time with him afterwards, the boy showed other sides; _better_ sides. Of course, he would still say stupid things every now and then, but over time it became clear that it was much less out of ill intent and more out of ‘ _mouth moves before the mind thinks it through_ ’.

So, hanging out with him had been… quite enjoyable, to say the least. He had an interesting balance of sense of humor _and_ seriousness, even if he would sometimes make a joke or sarcastic remark in an inappropriate time. Whenever he _would_ afford to make those in a suitable moment, Naoto couldn’t hold back a snicker and rarely even added a remark of her own. She was never a no-humor kind of person but socialization sure did wonders for her joking capabilities.

So, what was the problem with Yosuke? He was acting strange. Weird. Awkwardness would manifest in him every now and then (not unnatural for a teenage person, she thought), but it had been happening a lot more in their latest meetings. He’d be quieter in certain moments, and then suddenly go on an outburst of talking at others. Sometimes he seemed to be in deep thought, while in others he was totally distracted, with his pupils unfocused (she could swear he seemed to be gazing at her direction, though).

The Shirogane heir put her cell phone back at the desk just beside her bed. With a sigh, she decided she was better off letting this go, for now. She could focus on dealing with whatever was going on with him tomorrow.

The tiredness from both work and the trip hit her like a brick all of a sudden, so instead of neatly reclining on the bed as usual, Naoto just let gravity do its job and let herself fall sideways on the soft mattress, with her face somewhat smashed against the pillow. Pulling the light blanket over her body, she closed her eyes, resting comfortably despite the loose position she was laying down. In her mind, she recalled a few details of the case she worked on, glad that she was able to end it before Yu-senpai came back. She would not want to lose the opportunity to see this dear friend of hers again and most importantly, to have all of her friends reunited again like the old times.

…But Justice-For-Nanako plan ( _seriously, what a terribly long and off-tangent name_ ) resulted in the postponing of this reunion. The planned consensus was for them to meet up the day after the next, so tomorrow everyone would be doing their own thing. What could she do to fill the empty gap in her schedule? She had no immediate work to attend to, and honestly just wanted some time off for herself, to relax. A yawn followed this, watering her eyes.

“Hmm…” She certainly missed the food from Inaba. She could have lunch somewhere in the Shopping District, maybe Aiya or even Marukyu Tofu for a change. Meeting Rise would be a nice bonus, though she wasn’t sure if Rise was already in town.

_…Maybe I should invite Yosuke to come with me. Would be fun._

Another yawn. _Though he doesn’t really like tofu…_

Her eyes closed for good this time, as she slowly fell asleep. _But I… could call him anyway…_


	2. Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto texts Yosuke. Yosuke texts Naoto. Her grampa is not blind.

Naoto woke up, and yawned lazily while rolling in the bed. She picked up her watch, which was resting on top of the desk right beside her bed, to check the time. It was about 9 am.

She continued to lay there for a few more minutes, while her brain slowly adjusted to its conscious state. She felt like she had a dream, but couldn’t quite remember what it was. Another urge to yawn came, followed by the detective stretching herself and kicking away the blanket from over her. It was time to get up, which she did shortly after.

After brushing her teeth and putting on presentable (but still comfortable) clothes, the detective headed downstairs to the dining room, where her grandfather was typing quickly on a laptop and their secretary Yakushiji was pouring him a cup of tea. Naoto quietly walked towards them with a smile, enjoying the familiar environment. As she sat on the table, the man poured tea in another cup and offered it to her, who promptly grabbed it and took a sip.

The hot beverage helped clearing her mind, and she suddenly remembered her musings before going to sleep. Grabbing her phone and starting to write a message, she barely noticed when her grandfather stopped typing to look at her.

“Making plans for the day, hm?”

“O-oh… Yes, grampa. Is there any mishap? Do you need my help with some case or--”

The man chuckled, putting his hand up in the air and then waving it. “No, no, ahaha! There are no pressing matters right now. You should go out and have some teenager fun, you know. After these last few cases you worked so hard on, you deserve a break.”

Naoto smiled sheepishly; she had to admit she was excited for the outings with her friends, so being encouraged by her grampa like this was refreshing. She nodded, and went back to typing her message.

_‘GOOD MORNING. WOULD U LIKE TO HAVE LUNCH TODAY. AIYA OR TOFU PERHAPS. Y/N’_

She then set the phone down and stood still for a few seconds, hoping that perhaps he would answer soon. The secretary brought a small bowl of rice with a raw egg on top, along with some soy sauce; Naoto promptly started eating her meal in a calm pace.

The answer came 10 minutes later, with a small buzzing sound. Naoto immediately went to pick up her phone, but when she read the message a disappointed frown appeared on her face.

_‘hey naot, i dont think i can : ( not feeling very well today’_

He was…not feeling well? Did he perhaps catch some kind of sickness? Or…?

She started immediately typing back.

_‘YOU MEAN IN REGARDS TO YOUR HEALTH? OR DID SOMTHNG HAPPEN?’_

She waited for a response, which didn’t come until about 5 minutes later. In the meantime, her grandfather noticed the deeply concentrated look on her face.

“Did something happen, Naoto? Your group didn’t cancel their plans, did they?”

“Oh, n-no, grampa. Actually, we are only going to be meeting tomorrow, as per Yu-senpai’s request.” She stopped for a few seconds, looking at her phone, and then back at her grandfather. “I asked another friend out for lunch, but he said he is not feeling well…”

“Hmm…” He shot her an amused look, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. “Is it that Hanamura boy? The one who works at Junes?” She nodded. “Well, maybe he just caught a cold, or is feeling tired from his job? He does seem to work hard, you know. At least that’s what it looked like, when I went to Junes a few days ago.” He said, one side of his mouth curling into a half-grin.

“You… went to Junes?” Her grandfather going to the department store should not be so strange, yet Naoto felt herself incredulous for a moment. It was quite a long trip to get there from the Shirogane estate, and he could always ask Yakushiji to go for him. She supposed he just wanted to go out for a bit, but still, there was something in the way he said it…

The text came before anyone could say anything.

_‘yeah, health stuff. maybe i took too long to stock vegetables in cold area of the grocery department lol’_

“…Yeah, just as you said, grampa. He probably got a cold, due to circumstances in his job.” She sighed, feeling worried. If he was like this, would he even be able to go tomorrow for the group meeting?

As if reading her mind, he sent another text soon after.

_‘i will probs be okay by tmrrw, dont worry. see ya then?’_

Another sigh, this time with a small smile. After sending him a curt answer, she put her phone down and went back to eating her meal. She didn’t notice Yakushiji and the Shirogane senior looking at each other, holding back amused grins.

* * *

 

After spending some time reading a novel, Naoto looked at her watch; it was close to lunchtime. She felt a little disappointed at not being able to hang out with Yosuke; she really wanted to spend some time with her friend, and perhaps eat some tofu.

…It occurred to her that Yosuke was _not_ her only friend. Why did her mind seemingly fixate in going out with him? It had happened quite a bit as of lately, for no apparent reason. She shook her head, and then her mind wandered back to tofu.

It wasn’t anything super delicious or tasty, but the food did bring her nostalgic feelings from her first year in Inaba with the full group and well, it would be a nice change of pace in her usual diet.

After changing clothes to something a bit more social (almost putting her hat on but deciding to leave it home for today), she called out to her grandfather and their secretary, informing them of her destination.

“I’ll be heading out to Marukyu Tofu. Maybe I can find Rise there, so I’ll take a bit to go back home. See you two later!”

The older detective hummed in response, and waited for her to leave. When she finally did, he closed the textbook he was writing in, and looked at Yakushiji while grinning. “She finally remembered she can have lunch with people _besides_ the Junes boy, eh?”

The secretary chuckled a bit. “I thought for a moment that she would inquire you more about your mention of visiting Junes, Shirogane-sama. It’s a shame she got distracted right after.”

The senior detective crossed his arms, looking contemplative. “Indeed… Although that just furthers our suspicions, doesn’t it?” He let out a carefree chuckle, something so distant from the image of the cold detective people could have of him. Yakushiji could not hold back a smile of his own at seeing this. “I am sure she will notice sooner or later there is _something_ happening. My grandchild is smart, even if she does not have much experience in this field.”

“Truthfully.” The man said, serving Shirogane another cup of tea. “And at least you confirmed the boy in question is good natured, correct?”

The old detective opened his notebook once more, and then took a sip while playfully spinning a pen on his hand. His grayish blue eyes seemed undecipherable for a moment. Only then did he answer, with a neutral voice.

“I suppose.”

* * *

 

At the same time at Junes, a brown-haired boy sets aside his apron, and starts leaving the department store as quickly as he could, in the hopes of not meeting anyone he knew – especially a certain pint-sized detective - on his way home. He was glad that nothing of the sort happened during his morning shift, but knew that he shouldn’t press his luck.

 The only one he does meet is Teddie, to whom he promptly fakes a loud cough and says he is not feeling very well. The bear shows concern, but Yosuke assures him he just needs some rest back home. Before he can say anything more, the boy is already rushing out the front doors.

…Well, at least he had an alibi now. As Hanamura gets up on his bike and starts pedaling, he wonders if he really did the right thing, turning Naoto down like that. If he wasn’t going to do anything about…the thing, was it really worth lying just to delay seeing her? Or maybe he should… do something? He shook his head (and almost fell out of his bicycle because of it), insecure of what his next step should be.

He could really use a word with his partner.

…

_Damn, that weird-named plan._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -First of all: I am very sorry for my not-so-good chapter (and title) naming capabilities. Though I suppose 'Morning' is much better than the original 'Texting' I originally intended  
>   
> -I decided to break what I have been writing into this and the next chapter instead of having it be one big, confusing thing. I'm about halfway done with it so I'll probably update again in a few days >:D  
>   
> -I had this story mostly laid out in my head...but then decided to change a few details here and there, especially about Naoto's vision of things, so now this will be a bit longer than originally intended. But that's good I guess ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I guess this is obvious already, but I looove this pairing, and really wanted to create more content for it! Hope this got a smile out of ya! 
> 
> Thank you for reading! ^^


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